Looking for an iPhone aircraft tracker to identify the plane overhead? What Plane? starts with aircraft near your location and includes a Home Screen widget. Compare an aircraft's distance and direction with what you see, then check its model, airline, altitude and other available details.
View What Plane? on the App Store for current pricing and device compatibility.
Choose a tracker for the task you actually have
| Your question | Features to look for |
|---|---|
| What plane is flying near me? | Nearby-aircraft view, direction, distance and aircraft details |
| When will a particular flight arrive? | Flight-number search, flight status and arrival information |
| What traffic is crossing a region? | Live map, zoom and aircraft filters |
| How can I recognise aircraft by sight? | Identification guides and practice quizzes |
What Plane? focuses on the first question. If you need airline booking information or a confirmed arrival time, check the airline or airport's flight-status information.
How to use What Plane? for a nearby aircraft
- Open the app and set up location access.
- Check nearby aircraft and compare their position, direction and distance with the plane you can see.
- Open the matching aircraft's details. Depending on available data, you can see its type, operator, registration, callsign, altitude, speed and route.
- Add the Home Screen widget if you want quick checks between app visits.
Do not assume the nearest aircraft is the one you are looking at: perspective can make a distant, high aircraft appear close. Our step-by-step overhead identification guide explains how to match it.
What does the iPhone widget do?
The Home Screen widget puts nearby-aircraft information alongside your other widgets. It is useful when you regularly look up from home or a viewing spot and want a quick indication of what is nearby.
iOS controls widget refresh timing. It does not update continuously, so open the app for a fresh check when the displayed information no longer matches the sky. Follow our widget setup guide to add it.
What should I check before downloading?
- Device compatibility: check the App Store listing for supported devices and iOS versions.
- Pricing: review the current purchase price and any optional in-app purchases on the listing. Some app features may require Pro.
- Coverage: aircraft data depends on broadcasts and receiver coverage. Some aircraft and routes will be missing or incomplete.
- Your use case: choose a nearby-aircraft tool for spotting; use flight-status information for travel plans.
No tracker can promise to show every military, private or low-flying aircraft. Learn how ADS-B data reaches flight trackers.
Start with your local sky
For a quick answer to “what plane is that?”, download What Plane? for iPhone and iPad.
If you want to build recognition skills alongside live tracking, read our plane spotting app guide or try the aircraft identification quiz.